Tuesday, June 28, 2011

“To Lie In Your Shadow, Carmel”

Na'ama Bindiger,
Land of Israel studies department

“The mountain is green throughout the year.
I still dream and ask
To breathe your winds as at first,
To lie in your shadow, Carmel.”

With songwriter Yoram Taharlev’s beautiful words on our lips, Orot Israel College headed out on a tiyul of Nachal Rakefet in the Carmel on 14 Iyar (May 18). As we hiked the lovely trail, we discussed geography, history, and current events. And a surprise awaited us…

Our tiyul to Nachal Rakefet was part of Orot’s series of trips - each one to a different location and with a different theme. The ultimate goal is to show the students – the teachers of the future – how tiyulim can be a valuable tool for forging an unbreakable bond with Eretz Yisrael.

We were privileged to have students from Orot’s Land of Israel studies department as our guides, and they taught us about the Carmel’s unique topography, geology, and botany – including the lush Mediterranean vegetation, which covers its slopes and keeps the mountain “green throughout the year.”

Our excellent guides also focused on the human element. They told us about Jewish settlement in the region, and as we overlooked Daliat-El-Carmel, a Druze village, we heard about the Druze, their religion, and their warm ties with the State of Israel. In addition, we spoke at length about this past Chanukah’s devastating forest fire – its deadly course and the slow rehabilitation process. And lastly, we concentrated on Eliyahu HaNavi’s famous clash with the nevi’ei haBaal on the Carmel, which apparently took place at Muchrakah – our final stop.

During our hike, we also had an unexpected encounter with the animal kingdom: an “attack” of pine processionary caterpillars! Apparently, we had arrived just before the pupation period, and the caterpillars were everywhere – climbing on our skirts, and falling from the trees onto our knapsacks. An unforgettable experience… and thanks to the caterpillars, we all walked much faster than usual…

But without a doubt, the highlight of our trip was the gorgeous scenery and the delightfully-pastoral trail.

No comments: